National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Surgeons earn a national median of $297,800/year vs Operations Managers at $107,580/year. Surgeons earn 64% more nationally. The gap is $190,220 per year — or $15,852 per month.
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Surgeon
$297,800
national median/year
$24,817/mo • $143/hr
VS
Operations Manager
$107,580
national median/year
$8,965/mo • $52/hr
Annual salary gap
$190,220
Surgeons earn 64% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $2,156,200.
Best states for Operations Managers
vs Surgeons
Georgia+$-177,420
Mississippi+$-177,420
West Virginia+$-179,420
Alabama+$-180,420
Kentucky+$-180,420
Best states for Surgeons
vs Operations Managers
Alaska+$215,420
Hawaii+$205,420
California+$199,420
Connecticut+$199,420
New Jersey+$198,420
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Surgeons earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Surgeons is $297,800 versus $107,580 for Operations Managers — a difference of $190,220 per year or $15,852 per month.
The national median salary gap between Surgeons and Operations Managers is $190,220 per year. Surgeons earn 64% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $2,156,200.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Surgeons the highest median salary at $338,000 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Operations Managers the highest median salary at $138,580 per year.
Salary is one factor — Surgeons earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Surgeons and General and Operations Managers both have different educational paths, licensing requirements, and long-term growth projections. Use salary as a starting point, not the only factor.
Based on a standard 2,080-hour work year, Surgeons earn approximately $143 per hour nationally and Operations Managers earn approximately $52 per hour. Actual hourly rates vary based on overtime, part-time work, and whether the role is salaried or hourly.
Methodology: Salary data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024-2025. Figures represent median annual wages for wage and salary workers. Self-employed excluded. Hourly rates calculated at 2,080 hours per year. State salary figures from same BLS OES dataset. Updated annually.
